My Unorthodox Journey into Publishing

The Unknown Editor Within You

Hi readers! I’m Mel, one of Brink’s Fall 2025 interns, and I’m amazed by the wonders of the publishing industry.

Over the past ten months, I’ve taken editing courses, volunteered my editing services for self-publishing authors, and now, I’m making a bigger impact by publicizing authors, editing works, writing articles, social media marketing… You name it! 

There are a lot of people around the world who love books and envision themselves in this industry, but may be put off pursuing that dream, given their degree, locale, work experience, etc. But as a 2023 BA of Games and Interactivity graduate who works a part-time role in EdTech, I’m here to tell you that anything is possible with enough drive and creativity and share with you my unorthodox journey into the extraordinary world of publishing.

Let’s jump in! 

The Lore

What barriers are you facing to make your dreams come true? Mine were my parents. I grew up with parents in the IT field. That meant I had to do STEM. Secretly, I wanted to pursue a lot of my “hobbies” as careers. I’d always loved storytelling from a young age. I wrote my first novel with two friends in Grade 5, and the class loved reading it. I later abandoned my writing dreams once I found out publishing costs were astronomical (for a 5th grader). Unfortunately, the document was lost to time.

After compromising with my parents, I chose to pursue a BA in Games and Interactivity, expecting to become a game developer. The course was great and I learned about everything from production timelines to working in multi-disciplinary teams, and many other transferable skills. However, I noticed the passion my classmates felt about the game industry, and I couldn’t feel the same spark in me. I constantly questioned myself: Am I cut out for this? Will I even be employed? After all, I wasn’t as passionate as the others in this field.

Three months of failing to find a role after graduation led me to an internship at a small business, and I thought I’d get a permanent full-time role at the end of it. But I didn’t. Seeing my disappointment, the news breaker told me something that I’d never forget:

“What do you actually want to do with your life?”

For the first time, I didn’t know how to answer that question.

Finding Your “Spark”

But there were two questions I needed to ask first:

1. What’s my life’s purpose?
2. What’s my “spark”?

I explored what was out there and tried different things I enjoyed doing, but one of them changed it all.

I was accepted and assigned as a quality checker and typesetter for a nonprofit zine group, given my passion for manga. I loved producing stories to share with the world and making them accessible online, so I continued for three months to see if I could do something similar long term. I ended up loving it and started to seriously consider if publishing was my calling.

As a result, I understood my life’s purpose was to coach others to help them beat their personal best. Understanding what your passion truly is can be tough, so I’d encourage you to explore all options available to you until you find your niche!

Be All In, Baby!

I won’t lie, following your dreams… is scary. I questioned everything I was doing, especially when I failed. Through the fog of pessimism, I found my North Star. On social media, I encountered people around the world trying to follow their dream for one year and see where it led them, and the results were inspiring. I wanted to see what I could accomplish, too, and took on the challenge.

I did extensive research on book editing, took classes, cold DMed potential mentors on LinkedIn and social media, and volunteered for editing projects. I was locked in. Dedicated. Disciplined. I also didn’t tell my parents I was pursuing publishing but kept going anyway.

Seven months passed, and I was ready to take the next step. Based on the industry anecdotes I read on Reddit; it was crucial to do an internship to get a job in this field. Compared to my job-seeking journey as a fresh graduate, I now had immense knowledge of networking and self marketing. I used these skills to apply to internships, with the one at Brink catching my eye the most. I loved Brink’s ethos of believing everyone has the power to write a better future for themselves and their impact on literacy; most of all, I wanted to work with people who align with my values. So, for two months, I worked on crafting the best possible application and letters of recommendation. Thanks to my hard work, I was accepted for an interview and then into the program. Hyped, I had to tell my parents. It was scary, but in the end, they came around. 

And that’s where you see me today!

Before, I was never sure what my spark was, but now? I’ve never felt more sure it’s this.

Advice to Career Hopefuls

Though I still have a way to go, here’s some advice I’ve learned through this journey you can apply to any career you’re pursuing, regardless of what and who you know!

1. Build and be a part of a community.

Find industry experts, authors, forums, servers—gather a variety of perspectives, and volunteer to help others. Ask about anything regarding the industry, skills to develop, and the challenges they faced, and how they conquered them. 

Everyone wants to see each other succeed, so don’t be afraid to reach out to others.

2. Never stop learning.

I know, everyone says this, but understanding your potential has no limit not only helps with the knowledge you gain, but also with your self-confidence. So, take courses, classes, and feedback. Note how you can implement them into your work and progress and consider journaling your journey every few weeks.

3. Try following your dreams for a year. 

You’d be surprised how far you come in finding more about yourself and how much you’ve learned about the world, even if you fail or face setbacks. Be patient with yourself, do as much research as you can, and know there’s enough success for everyone out there—including you! 

“What man has done, man can do.”

So, chase that dream, or at least know, I’ve got your back!

P.S. Interested in Brink’s publishing internship? Learn more here!